Under a Narnian Sky
by Underastarrysky
Summary: "Lucy, whatever are you doing awake?" came Caspian's voice from somewhere behind her. Lucy gave a long sigh, "I could ask you the same thing, but I fear our reasons may be the same," She said, "It's nightmares, isn't it, dearest Caspian?" Caspian and Lucy ward off their nightmares together one night aboard the Dawn Treader. Fluffy, sibling-like love.


Lucy was getting used to the Narnian nights again. She had to have been, as she spent the majority of her nights on the deck of the Dawn Treader, staring up at the star-speckled navy sky. Sleep hadn't been coming to any of them, of that she was certain, but her brother and her, well, if asked, she'd probably call Caspian a brother as well, were, as far as she knew, asleep below deck in their uncomfortable hammocks. She'd felt awfully guilty when Caspian had told her to take his quarters, the finest on the ship, of course, fit for royalty, for she knew where him and Edmund would be sleeping while she slept peacefully in silk sheets and a down quilt. She felt a pang of guilt again in her side. She wasn't even in her bed, now, but sitting on the wooden-planked deck while someone else, her brother or Caspian could have been at least sleeping well.

"Lucy, whatever are you doing awake?" came Caspian's voice from somewhere behind her.

She turned and saw the king of Narnia standing a few steps away, a tired smile on his face. His dark curls were tousled from sleep, his more comfortable and loose night clothes moving with the salty-smelling breeze blowing across the boat. He'd grown a beard since she'd last seen him, she thought it had suited him, made him look handsome even, but now, the exhaustion evident on his tired features in combination with the beard just made him look weary. His eyes had bruise-purple circles under them and lines of stress were evident on his forehead.

She gave a long sigh, "I could ask you the same thing, but I fear our reasons may be the same." She said.

Caspian's shoulders slumped, his whole body curling in on itself. She motioned him forward, scooting over so that he could lean his back on the edge of the boat beside her. He seemed to collapse back into the wall, head falling against the ledge with a bump. She looked up at him with worried eyes and carefully rested her hand over his. He finally met her gaze, the physical contact seeming to ground him more into reality.

"It's nightmares, isn't it, dearest Caspian? I know how you feel. I'm out here for the same reason." Her voice was lilting and comforting.

He dropped his head in defeat, "I'm sorry, Lu, that you're enduring these too. The Green Mist, it's trying us." He tucked his arm around her shoulders and gave a gentle squeeze.

Lucy leaned into his side and closed her eyes. She felt safer and more comfortable in Caspian's hold than on her own, even though they both sat exposed to the elements on the hard wooden deck. Caspian played with a ringlet of her hair that had fallen over her shoulder absently, twirling it between his thumb and forefinger. She leaned further into his hold, resting her head against his shoulder. He repositioned his arm so that it was draped around her back.

"You should try to get some sleep, now, little one. We can stay right here together like this and perhaps the nightmares will not return." Caspian suggested tenderly, resting his chin on the crown of her head.

"I will try, Caspian, but not just yet." She blinked sleepily, the deck of the boat blurring through her tired eyes.

Caspian hummed softly, "is there something more on your mind, Lu?"

"You were having nightmares too…" she paused and he squeezed her arm to confirm what she'd said was true, "tell me what's troubling you, Caspian. Perhaps you will manage some sleep too."

She felt the Telmarine king tense slightly beside her and reached out her arm to rest a hand over his chest, where she could feel his heart beating. She leaned heavily into his side, letting him know her trust and fondness of him, and that he could trust her as well. In response, feeling grateful that she cared enough for him to feel his weariness just by looking at him and being next to him, he leaned back against her, the warmth of her body against his calming his troubled mind.

"My father," he whispered, "I never knew him, but I always feel the need to live up to his expectations, his legacy that he left for the Telmarine people. I feel as though I should be living up to that legacy for the Narnians. And with all this pressure as of late, I feel so inadequate," his voice shook dangerously, "I feel as though I'll never be as great as my father."

Lucy felt a hot tear splash from his cheek into her hair. She uncurled herself from his side just enough to place a gentle kiss on his cheek and look straight into his eyes. He gave an unconvincing, weak smile and blinked hard, more tears slipping down already dampened cheeks. His lip trembled, but he made no noise, drawing strength from his little sister next to him.

"Caspian, my brother Caspian, you'd have made your father so proud, so proud. Surely he is in Aslan's country watching you from above, smiling at your success and your fairness in your reign." Lucy reassured, squeezing her arm around him lightly.

"You always know just what to say and when to say it," Caspian murmured, voice still soft, "and I appreciate it very much at this moment." Lucy smiled a half-smile and nestled back into his warm side, "but little one, as I have given you my nightmare, please share yours with me so that you can also get some well-needed rest."

"I suppose that's fair…" she paused, "Caspian, do you think I'm beautiful like Susan? Oh, how I wish I could be as beautiful as her."

He tucked her hair behind her ear and gently placed a calloused hand on her cheek, "Lucy, you and Susan are the two most beautiful women I know, inside and out. But you are not the same kind of beautiful. You cannot compare yourself to her, just as she cannot compare herself to you." He kissed the top of her hair, "my little Lucy, you are the most beautiful girl in all of Narnia."

She giggled, a sound that had Caspian beaming down at the young girl, "You can say that truly when you've met every girl in Narnia," she said in a slightly self-deprecating voice.

Caspian smiled against her hair and she felt it against her head, "There are some things one knows without having true proof."

She pinched him playfully in the shoulder, "Flattery. It's all flattery I say!"

He sobered quickly, looking down at her gravely, "Lu, do not think even for a moment that this is flattery. This is a truth from the bottom of my heart. You are beautiful, and you should know your own worth. Lucy, I love you as if you were my blood sister, and if no one ever thinks you're beautiful, in this world or in yours, think of me and you will remember that you are in fact the most beautiful person to me."

She felt a hot tear slip down her cheek and off her chin and she buried her face into Caspian's chest, "I love you, too, dearest Caspian. Thank you."

"Any time, my lovely Lucy. Now settle in and do try to get some rest." Caspian said tenderly, wrapping his free arm around her as well.

She nodded, already drifting off, "promise you'll try as well?"

He kissed her forehead a last time and rested his cheek on her head, "I promise. Goodnight, Lu."

She felt a sudden rush of admiration for her friend and wrapped her arms around him as well, sighing as she let her head fall comfortably on his chest, "goodnight, Caspian." She murmured.

He fell asleep almost instantly, his breath evening out to a slow and steady pace. She listened to his soft snores for another few minutes before she too fell asleep. Neither of them dreamt that night. It was the first true deep sleep in too long.

When Lucy woke the next morning, someone had draped a blanket over both of them and Caspian was still snoring lightly beside her. She smiled a small smile and tucked herself back into Caspian's side and the blankets. She watched the sun rise from her spot curled against the edge of the boat, and giggled silently as the sailors noticed the sleeping king and made sure to do their morning duties silently and without disrupting them.

It was another half hour before a sailor clumsily dropped a coil of rope and Caspian jolted awake. He smiled sleepily at the sailor and nodded, then looked down at Lucy in his arms, "Good morning, Lu."

She felt the vibrations of his voice in his chest more than she heard the words, but she knew what he'd said anyways, "good morning, Caspian. Did you sleep well?"

Caspian, almost reluctantly, uncurled himself from Lucy, draping the soft blanket around her shoulders. He stood, stretched out stiff limbs with a wide yawn, and reached down to pull Lucy up off the deck. She hugged him tightly and kissed his cheek.

"I slept wonderfully, Lucy, for the first time in a very long time." He replied.

"Me, too." She admitted, gratefulness saturating her tone.

After that night, the sailors would often find the Telmarine King and the Valiant Queen asleep against the edge of the ship, fending off the nightmares and the green mist together. Caspian grew very fond of the young queen, as she did the same for him, and they soon spent most of their time together on board the Dawn Treader. When Lucy, Edmund and Eustace returned to England, Caspian did not sleep the first night, instead laid in his own bed that had belonged to Lucy over the past weeks, stared at the ceiling and let himself cry because his closest friends, his family, were gone to him forever. Lucy sat in her attic bedroom for most of the next week, missing Caspian's hugs and soothing words, and wrote a very long letter to Susan and Peter telling them all about how the Telmarine King had become her closest friend, and how she'd miss him forever.


End file.
